Why snoring gets worse as you age

Melissa EricksonMore Content Now

Friday

Jul 24, 2015 at 10:37 AMJul 24, 2015 at 10:37 AM

Whether you’re wheezing, snorting or snuffling while sawing logs, your snoring is not only upsetting to your family, it could be a sign of ill health. And it’s probably getting worse with age. There are reasons why a person’s snoring becomes more disruptive as the birthdays roll by, said Dr. Ilene Rosen, a member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine who is board certified in sleep, internal and pulmonary medicine.Cause for concern?About 40 percent of adult men and 24 percent of adult women are habitual snorers, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. While snoring may be a nuisance to your family, it can also point to underlying medical issues, said Rosen, who is the program director for the University of Pennsylvania Sleep Fellowship and an associate professor of clinical medicine for the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.“Snoring is definitely a nuisance to many people, usually moreso to the bed partner of the snorer than the snorer him or herself. It is not clear that snoring is significant health hazard, however,” said Dr. Charles W. Atwood Jr., the sleep medicine fellowship director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “While some studies point to snoring as a possible risk for carotid artery atherosclerosis, other studies have failed to show a definite adverse health effect. If you want to get rid of snoring, do it for the goal of bedroom quiet and not health benefits.” Changes with ageWhy does snoring worsen with age? “As we age, we gain weight,” including around the neck, so the throat becomes narrower, which can lead to snoring, Rosen said. For men, it’s easier to see if their shirt’s neck size increases. As collar size increases, so does the risk for sleep disorders and chronic disease, according to a study done by researchers at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. One of the main side effects of the medication prednisone, with is used to treat joint inflammation, arthritis and other health issues, is weight gain. so people on prednisone may also develop a worse snoring habit.Muscle tone also decreases as a person ages, and flabby throat muscles equal an increase in or worsening of snoring.If menopause isn’t bad enough, the accompanying hormonal changes such as the decrease in estrogen lead to snoring, Rosen said, because “estrogen helps preserve muscle tone in the upper airway.” Is it sleep apnea?Snoring is more than just a nuisance. The obstruction of your airway can be a signal of an dangerous sleep disorder like sleep apnea, and people shouldn’t decide for themselves if they have a problem. “They should get checked out by their primary care physician who can determine if a sleep specialist is needed,” Rosen said. “Sleep apnea is a very common and serious medical condition. Snoring is often a sign of sleep apnea. When snoring is associated with daytime fatigue or sleepiness, then seek help for possible sleep apnea,” Atwood said.People often can have sleep apnea without even knowing it, especially if they sleep alone and don’t have a bed partner to alert them to the problem, Rosen said. Signs of sleep apnea include episodes of loud snoring followed by quiet when a person temporarily stops breathing. It’s also a concern if a person wakes up feeling like they didn’t sleep well, if sleep is interrupted multiple times during the night (waking up to use the bathroom or checking the clock multiple times), or if you wake up with a dry mouth or with a headache. See your doctor if you have these signs.If a doctor has determined that sleep apnea is not the issue, there are cosmetic treatments a person can try such as position therapy: the old-school “Honey, roll over, you’re snoring again.” Studies have shown that sleeping on your back is highly correlated to snoring, Rosen said. Also, avoid alcohol and sedatives.Treatments also include “weight loss, treatment of nasal congestion, opening up nasal passages with external devices such as nasal strips, oral appliances which push the mandible (lower jaw) forward slightly, nasal valves worn over the nostrils which create back pressure and decrease nasal resistance. Continuous Positive Airway pressure (CPAP) also works but is typically reserved for obstructive sleep apnea patients,” Atwood said.These may or may not work. If not, see a sleep specialist.“People don’t think about sleep as an important issue, but it’s as important as diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Rosen said.

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